Translation of A Big Rock

Een grote rots leefde op een bergkam sinds
de allereerste April ooit, balancerend
aldaar tot liefde komt.

Zijn oog viel op een mooi scharlaken
vliegend iets terwijl het langs fladderde, een abstract
naast de groene, grijze of zwarte dingen die vliegen en
soms op de rots gaan zitten, toevoegend een sobere toets van evenwicht
De rots wachtend op liefde, wist, zoals jij weet, in deze
gedempte tijd kan een beetje scharlaken een
bleke schaal van even verbreken.

Maar de wereld onder de rots was niet
bang. In massa wisten zij dat een beetje abstract scharlaken,
liefde, beter is dan een groen, grijs of zwart,
angst voor, een grote val, onevenwicht. En ook wie weet
wanneer een donkere wolk alles zal bedekken en zelfs
deze onze schaal van even verliest ...

Finis

Nederlands:
Hoboken - 20 november 1995

For those among you interested in some of Tony Mafia's writings, I still have some copies of 'My Book, My Words'. It contains stories, poetry and is bi-lingual English-Dutch

A poem by Tony

A big rock lived on a mountain edge since
the very first April ever, balancing
there until love comes.

A beautiful scarlet flying thing
caught his eye as it fluttered by, a abstract
next to the green, grey or black flying things
that sit on the rock occasionally, adding a sober touch of balance
The rock waiting for love, knew, as you know, in this
muted time a little scarlet can dislodge our pale
scale of even.


But the world below the big rock was not
afraid. In mass they knew a little abstract scarlet, love, is better than a
green, grey or black, fear of, big fall, non balance. And also who knows
when a dark cloud will cover all and lose even
this our scale of even ...

Finis


May 27, 1979

Air brush

Spookie sends me pictures she find on the net of Tony's work for inclusion in Tony's blog. I love it since it just means that unknown work is surfacing. In this case it is interesting work since it is an airbrush drawing, a very different technique from the other work I have shown you, as you can tell. It is also monochromatic. Not because he only had one container or the paint, usually he had several. But then who knows. I would classify this one under harlequins.

Tango

The Vet who owns this oil is an avid tango dancer. Here Tony portrayed a dancing couple. She looks a bit worried. he announces his intentions on his shirt: note the horse, at least one fiery stallion and a nude lady. I think Tony intended the lady to look this way because the figure in the background is her partner. The red madder in the background and the dress is brushed on thickly just as the viridian dark green in the stripes. Tony himself danced well, he could imitate a move just after seeing it once.

The Fool. 1975

Never once in the time
I have known has
anything been so
sure. but it is and I
opened my eyes and walked
out into the night, bells
rang low in the dark valley
their frightful calling follows
me to the golden bloom of
in the early morning’s swallow
eye.

I quavered even
my sure hand moved slower
than usual. a swallow eye! or
did it mean, a field of golden
corn golded after the passing
of summers warm.
to rest in ...or by
chance did it try to tell me
of thing of my needing orange
golden bleeding of a never
to loose dancing shoes
dancing me to the
river of the
way home.
up above
the dark

marking this dark door
no matter how high,
I danced on after
first taking a
stalk of corn of golden
and looking marking well
the swallow’s eye, saying to
myself: never once in my
life has anything been so
sure. I surely moved slowly.
to my opened eyed night of
ringing bell questions
to the time of
next



which rained
down a
answer I did not
(knot) which is too
well want to see, the
hidden me. drenched
in pity of, of love
and all bell follower
that would come
after me trying to
see, find, be,
as a endless
mountain
all to see
or know.


while the soul
of free in me be, knew
that winds blew
only for the
lone
who shall
never know
say in a
all knowing voice
never once in the times I
have known has any thing
been so young sure. that
can’t be not danced
to in golden corn
to the calling of
a blind
swallow -

The tearful eye of God

The Tearful Eye of God is the name Tony gave this large painting. God crying because of the state of the world, the state humanity is in. It hangs on the third floor in a public area of the European Parliament. it is large and even a bit larger than what I could get on the picture. it is the only painting by a non European in the collection of the European Parliament. I love how Tony painted his own red boots...

Two lovers

Still from the same big painting: Two lovers. Holding and being held, is probably something we all long for. Here the lover looks a lot like one of the icons Tony used to portray 'the vet'. Tony was, by his own account, influenced by El Greco. In some other paintings you can tell by the length of the legs and such, here it are the elongated faces and noses that could refer to El Greco's influence.

Detail II

The red stallion is all about masculinity, horses in general represented the hidden warrior in Tony. He is known for his horses, they are always alive, in movement, lifting off the canvas or the page. Here I singled out one, running with a group. Look at the soul of a horse just above.

Details

Now, don't hold the quality of the picture against the poor creatures shown. Tony loved pigeons and they feature often in his work. In this case they are the symbol of love and tender togetherness. The cock-pigeon seems to be offering an olive branch to his mate. War and peace might have been on his mind. I am fond of the purples and how the paint is applied right beneath them. In Belgium pigeon racing is a popular sport and big sums are involved in winning. In the town of Lier, one Sunday a month, the pigeon lovers gather to exchange birds and to sell offspring of big champions. Tony would go there once in awhile and mingle and seem to be anything as knowledgeable as the sportsmen. They would even let him handle a champion after watching him a while. The detail is of the same big canvas as yesterday's flamenco player.

Music

Spain and flamenco were returning subjects in Tony's work. This is a detail from a larger painting which you can view in full at the third floor in the Altiero Spinelli building of the European Parliament. Note the crying guitar player. He is just as god crying about the state of the world. Note the figure leaning in to the guitar, caressing, cradling it with body and soul. That is was music can do. In 1995 he got a very delicate guitar in Montellano, near Seville. When we heard some gypsies play near the church of the Crying Madonna the evening we brought her back, he decided to call the guitar just that. I believe he honored the delicate crying Madonna guitar in this flamenco player. The canvas was one to which he would return often, changing it sometimes drastically. He started it in 1995, worked on it in 1998 and May 1999. The last paint Tony spread was red on a tiny brush on this canvas.